Top Twenty Renters!

Sunshine (15) (2007)

Director: Danny Boyle

Starring: Michael Yeoh, Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans

Fifty years from now the sun is dying, and with it, mankind. A spaceship with a group of eight scientists carry a mammoth nuclear weapon which could breathe new life into the fading star. Deep into their voyage, their mission starts to unravel, and they receive a ghostly message from a spaceship that disappeared seven years ago on a similar mission to their own.... (107 Mins)

The Lives Of Others (15) (2006)

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmack

Starring: Martine Gedeck, Sebastian Koch

Von Donnersmarck's film illustrates superbly that the German Democratic Republic of the 1980's was a place where, more often than not, a person's life would be ruined with a one-page typed letter and a rubber stamp. The physical violence of other oppressive regimes is hardly present in this movie for as Von Donnersmarck persuasively suggests, the DDR exerted control by creating an atmosphere quiet menace and denuding its citizens of confidence. Capturing this atmosphere of psychological oppression is no easy business but Von Donnersmarck pulls it off with commendable aplomb.The Lives of Others proves thinking cinema is still alive. (137 Mins)

The Science Of Sleep (15) (2006)

Director: Michel Gondry

Starring: Miou-Miou, Charlotte Gainsburgh, Alain Chabat, Gael Garcia Bernal

The Science of Sleep is the most captivating film in years. From the beautiful psychedelic splash-painting credits to the gentle, touching finale, the film is a delight. The musical soundtrack, a mix of styles that sneaks up on you from all angles, is sublime. (102 Mins)

Taxidermia (18) (2006)

Director: Gyorgy Palfi

Starring: Gergely Trocsanyi, Piroski Moinar

A grotesquely deviant tale of three generations of men - a soldier, an obese speed eating champion and a taxidermist. One desires love, the other success, and the third immortality. Described as 'a goulash of bodily fluids and perversity', Taxidermia is unique, both in its imaginative construction and its onslaught of eye-popping imagery. Best not to eat just before or while watching. (91 Mins)

Babel (15) (2006)

Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu

Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett

An intelligent, impressive work directed with ambition and sensitivity, Babel is undoubtedly one of the best films of last year. Other far-reaching dramas that tackle big themes often seem portentous and self-important, yet Babel aims for a trenchant study of humanity’s failure to communicate and hits its target. (138 Mins)